Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) is partnering in research that executives said could shift the paradigm for methane detection and carbon capture/repurposing.

Reducing PG&E’s carbon footprint is a major focus of its Gas Operations Research, Development and Innovation team that is supporting California’s goal to reduce methane emissions by 40% below 2015 levels in 2030.

Six years ago, the San Francisco-based combination utility began working with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to adapt the Open Path Laser Spectrometer on unmanned aerial systems (UAS), otherwise known as drones.

Drones have been increasingly paired with artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze data gathered on oil and gas infrastructure. Concurrently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)...